


butterfly wings, top of the lake

by okamiwind



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Clones, Dubious Consent, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:17:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okamiwind/pseuds/okamiwind
Summary: On some sleepy Sunday in the year 2016, the epidemic that laymen now refer to as replication seemingly begins with only one person.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 34
Kudos: 86





	butterfly wings, top of the lake

Jongin is chest-deep in bathwater that smells like salt when Sehun appears by the bathroom door. 

“Hey,” Jongin says, and he reaches out of the water, holds out his hand, motioning for Sehun to join him. “Come on. Always room for one more.” 

Sehun looks at him blankly, and Jongin chalks it up to sleeplessness. They were up too late the night before, too wrapped up in each other. Soon, though, his brain must kick in. He steps across the threshold, bare feet padding along the tile. He begins to strip off his clothes, and Jongin leans his head back against the wall of the tub enjoying the show. 

“Come on,” Jongin says. “Getting antsy here.” 

Sehun is nearly naked, nothing but boxer-briefs left when he opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. It is a hollow rasping, faraway like it’s coming from inside a tunnel. It is lonely, sad, and Jongin blinks. 

He furrows his brow, a strange bolt of horror lacing along his abdomen. 

“W-What? I didn’t hear you. Speak up,” Jongin laughs, and he cups his ear, feigning an amusement that perhaps he can fake himself into actually feeling. “I’m going deaf in my old age.” 

Then, the horror multiplies, doubling on top of doubling. He hears Sehun’s voice from the bedroom. He sits up in the water as Sehun approaches, as _another_ Sehun approaches, as the nightmare grows more and more real. 

“Baby, who are yo—” 

Sehun is standing there in the threshold of the bathroom, totally dressed, two mugs of coffee steaming in his hands, observing Jongin and at a half-naked version of himself.

Suddenly, Jongin is staring back at two of Sehun, identical in every measure besides clothing and coffee, and he is confused to say the least. 

“A-Am I dreaming?” he smiles, and he expects both versions of Sehun to smile back, to come to him, to take him in their arms and bring him back to bed. 

“Jongin, that’s… that’s not me,” Sehun says, panic quiet in his voice, hands still wrapped around the mug handles. “ _What’s going on?_ ” 

“ _What’s going on?_ ” the first Sehun says, and without another copied word, he is running. 

Sehun drops the coffee, shattering hot and sharp across the tiled floor, but the first Sehun is already gone, already through the door, already lost.  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
They contact police, nearby hospitals, family, friends, but everyone thinks they are crazy. They don’t have any help. They’re all on their own.

“W-What do you think it is?” Sehun asks, and he rubs his arms. “What do you think it _wants_?” 

“I don’t know,” Jongin says, and he leans his head against Sehun’s shoulder. “I don’t know, I’m… I’m scared.” 

“I know.” Jongin feels a kiss pressed to his hair. “Me too.” 

There are words hanging there in the air between them, waiting for one of them to reach up and take them: _It’ll be okay_. Neither of them grab the words. They’ve never lied to each other before. Why should they start now?  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
For a while there is nothing. Silence. Jongin wishes it was more comforting.

Now, all their quiet moments are filled with thought. Wondering. _What’s he doing out there? Is he doing something bad? Is he making a mess for the two of them? Should they go looking for him? If they find him, what will he do to them? What will he try?_

“Just don’t think about it,” Sehun says. He reaches in, tugs Jongin into a hug. “It’s gonna drive us fucking crazy.” 

Jongin braces himself against Sehun’s foundation, wonders _Is it really you in there?_  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
Sehun is sitting across from him at the dinner table, and they are in the middle of eating. The noise is from the television, and they use that to eat up all the silence. Jongin stares at Sehun, wonders if he ever would have been able to tell them apart if Sehun hadn’t appeared that morning. It is a terrible thought to have, one that makes him push his half-empty plate away.

“Done?” Sehun asks. 

Jongin only nods. 

Sehun takes both their plates to the kitchen, and Jongin stares at the television, letting his eyes go fuzzy. He hears the sound of the sink, hears scrubbing, and he slumps back into his chair. 

“Hey,” Sehun calls. Jongin looks back over his shoulder. “Do you think you’d be able to tell if I wasn’t me?” 

Jongin’s eyes go watery, so he looks back to the television. 

“Yeah,” Jongin lies. “I’d be able to tell.”  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
They don’t talk much anymore. The weeks pass slow like dripping syrup, but not so sweet. Jongin watches everything Sehun does, tries to suss out inconsistencies. Sehun has his feet in Jongin’s lap, and Jongin rubs a knuckle into the arch of Sehun’s left foot where he knows it causes him pain.

“F-Fuck.” 

And Jongin breathes out. _Him_. 

“God, did you do that on purpose?” Sehun asks. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Beat after beat of silence. Loud, loud silence. 

“It feels like I’m in prison,” Sehun says angrily. “In my _own home_.” 

“I’m sorry,” Jongin says, but he wonders if the real Sehun would have said it with quite so much strength in his voice.  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
Sehun takes him into his arms in the middle of the night, and Jongin follows his lead. He is relieved. He can’t remember the last time they had sex, and it’s been so tense between them. Strung tight like a harp string ready to snap. He licks away the sweat at Sehun’s neck, sucks a kiss there. Wets his fingers and strokes inside Sehun’s body, watches him curl with pleasure. Listens to him sing out his moans.

“I’m so sorry,” Sehun whispers. “About everything.” 

“It’s okay,” Jongin says. “It’s not your fault.” 

“I want you.” He kisses Jongin with passion, with undeniable trust. “I love you.” 

“I love you,” Jongin says, and tears build at the corners of his eyes. “Fuck, I love you.” 

He fucks Sehun hard, really lets it build to a dangerously good place, the music heavy above them, before they fall off the edge together, blissful and wonderful. It feels like _finally_. It feels like _forever_. 

Jongin kisses him on the lips, jumps from the bed re-energized. 

“Back in a minute,” Jongin says. 

“Hurry,” Sehun tells him. “Don’t make me wait.” 

He smiles as goes to the bathroom for a washcloth, but when he returns, the bed is cold and empty. 

He shuts his eyes as his stomach drops from his body as he searches the house for Sehun, for the _real_ Sehun. 

It doesn’t take him long. He finds him tied and gagged in the spare room’s closet, face wet with tears. Jongin makes hushing noises as he tries to free him as quickly as he can, but his hands are shaking, his whole body is trembling. 

“H-He was so strong,” Sehun cries, and he launches himself into Jongin’s embrace, weeping like a child. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I tried to yell, but I—” 

“No, I’m sorry,” Jongin cries. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He looks down, lets tears fall to the floor. “I touched him, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t _know_.” 

“You couldn’t have known,” Sehun says, and even looking at his perfect face makes Jongin feel sick. _What have I done?_ “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I know I’ve made this so hard on you, it’s just—” 

“It’s all we can think about, I know.” He clutches Sehun close to him, thinks _Something’s gotta give._ “L-Let’s dip into savings. Let’s go somewhere. Let’s get out of here.” 

“Y-Yeah,” Sehun agrees, and he wipes his face clean. “Yeah, let’s go anywhere.” 

“Fuck, I don’t care if we have to start over,” Jongin says. “Let’s just get as far from this place as we possibly can. As far away from him as we can.” 

“Yes.” He kisses Jongin sweetly, and Jongin thinks _This is him. It must be him._

They fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. Jongin’s heart might be broken in two, but at least the pieces still fit together.  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
Sun streaks through the windows, and Jongin stirs in Sehun’s arms. He stretches like a cat, and Sehun slowly unwinds from the embrace.

“Coffee,” Jongin murmurs. 

“Coming right up.” 

Jongin smiles in sleep, but as Sehun sits up, as Sehun sucks in a surprised breath, Jongin feels the joy drained from the room like blood from a cut jugular. 

“Jongin,” Sehun says. “Jongin, look.” 

Acid rises into Jongin’s throat as he sits up, rubbing what’s left of the sleep from his eyes. 

There, standing at the foot of their bed, is Jongin. 

“Fuck.”

“Are you seeing this?” Jongin asks, looking between himself and Sehun. “It’s not just me?” 

The copy tilts his head to the side, opens his mouth. 

“ _It’s not just me?_ ”  
  


⚬ ⚭ ⚬

  
  
_On some sleepy Sunday in the year 2016, the epidemic that laymen now refer to as replication seemingly begins with only one person._

_Reports are widespread after the first occurrence. Public opinion is divided. Some believe it to be a medical anomaly. Some believe it to be an act of God. Some believe it to be a sign of the end of days, the reckoning for humanity._

_The primary case is a male in his mid-twenties. Black hair, brown eyes. His replicant presented with the same identifying features._

_The primary case is Oh Sehun._

_The secondary case is Kim Jongin._

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this one very quickly over lunch bc i knew i would only put it off until i died. i hope you enjoyed. im sorry its weird. clones are weird, huh? anyway sorry that i am this way. have a great day 
> 
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/okamiwind) | [my curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/okamiwind)


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